THE HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 



251 



form and colour of its fruits, nor the rich, golden glow 

 of its autumnal tints ; and given such varieties as the 

 following, as well as the Crabs and not a few of the 

 cider varieties, with some of the highest-coloured 

 varieties in the foregoing lists, such as the Worcester 

 Pearmain, Red Streak, and Tom Putt, they are well 

 worth growing for their beauty alone ; and there are 

 few ornamental trees or shrubs that can match them 

 m shrubbery or pleasure-ground. 



The 'Tulip Aj^plc is only of second-rate quality as 

 a dessert fruit ; in season from November to Aj)ril ; 

 but is worth growing for ornament alone. Its deep 

 purple colour covers the entire fruit, unless where it 

 is densely shaded, and it is an enormous bearer. 



Malakovna, October to December, is a very showy 

 striking variety, of a bright dense crimson colour, 

 and is so productive as to make the tree glow with 

 scarlet, the fruit being only second-rate, though 

 pleasant. 



The Red and White Astrachans are also highly or- 

 namental ; the former bright scarlet, the latter white 

 as wax, and both bearing a bloom as thick as that of 

 the Plum. The fruits ripen in August, should be 

 eaten off the tree, and are not of the Iiighest quality. 



The Violet Apple^ or Violette. — October to March. 

 Culinary ; yellow, striped with red ; very dark red 

 where exposed to the sun; the whole fruit being 

 profusely covered with a dense blue -violet bloom, 

 which renders it highly ornamental. 



Mars Red. — A highly ornamental cider Apple, of a 

 very bright red colour, richly streaked with crim- 

 son. 



Cha^^hall Red is another highly ornamental cider 

 Apple, of a deep crimson colour, streaked with 

 deeper lines ; one of the best and most beautiful of 

 cider Apples, 



Cherry Norman. — This is something after the form 

 of the Lady Apple, and is also a cider variety, 

 though not bad eating ; golden-yellow, with bright 

 pink cheeks on the sunny side. 



Foxley. — Grows in clusters of three ; yellow ; red- 

 dish-oi-ange next the sun ; excellent cider Apple. 



The Crab Suprhne is a larger Crab than the com- 

 mon Siberian, with a more upright habit. 



Mr. Rigcfs Everlasting is almost ever-fruiting and 

 ever-green, the fruit and leaves both remaining on 

 during mild winters to the next year. 



There are many other of the cider Apples almost 

 equally beautiful with the few named above, while all 

 the Siberian and most other Crabs are highly orna- 

 mental in the shrubberies and home plantations. 

 Not a few- Apples, such as the New Hawthornden 

 and the Lincolnshire Holland Pippin, are also dis- 

 tinguished by the abnormal size of their blossoms, 

 while the blossoms of the Garland Crab (Fi/rKs 

 ■coronarn) are still larger, of the most delicate losc- 



colour, and perfumed with violet odour. The leaves of 

 not a few Apples, and most of the Crabs, are distin- 

 guished by the richness of their autumnal hues, 

 while the Golden-leaved Crab is one of the most or- 

 namental of variegated trees. 



Cider A-Pples. — Though cider-growing pertains 

 more to agriculture than gardening, our list of Apples 

 would hardly be complete unless a few cider ones were 

 included. This is the more needful, as there seem 

 no insuperable obstacles to prevent every amateur 

 or cottager from making his own cider, if so disjjosed. 

 Though a certain percentage of semi-acid, harsh, or 

 austere fruit may be needful to give briskness to 

 cider, yet it is quite a mistake to assume that cider 

 can only be made from these. Almost any Apples 

 can be converted into cider, and not a few of the 

 makers throw the whole of their varieties into a heap 

 to mellow or slightly ferment, quite irrespective of 

 times of ripening, or varying percentages of sugar 

 or verjuice. They are then crushed or put througli 

 a mill, the juice pressed out and placed in casks 

 either for fermentation or being kept sweet, as the 

 grower or consumer may prefer. But it will pro- 

 bably surprise a good many readers to learn that 

 such popular fruit for dessert as the following are 

 almost equally popular for the making of good 

 cider : — Cockle Pippin, Redstreak, Devonshire Quar- 

 renden, Downton Pippin, Forge, Golden Pippin, 

 Golden Harvey, Early Harvest, Crimson Queening, 

 and one or more Pearmains and Reinettes. jMor- 

 ris's Apple and Tom Putt, both much used for cider, 

 are also good eating varieties. 



The following dozen may be relied on either for 

 mixing with the sweeter sorts already named, or for 

 making good cider, though more acid, without such 

 saccharine additions : — Bittersweet, Coccagee, Club- 

 bles Wilding, Dymock Red, Foxwhelp, Hangdown. 

 Jersey Chisel, or Royal Jersey, Red Cluster, Slack 

 my Girdle, Siberian Bittersweet, Tanner's Red, 

 White Styre. . 



Nothing could be easier than to add three or four 

 dozen or scores to these lists ; but these, with the 

 sweet sorts that may be used for cider, will suffice 

 for general readers. 



Apples for Seasons.— With the object, how- 



ever, of rendering our general lists more useful to 

 the uninitiated, we purpose making selections from 

 our selections for different seasons of the year; 

 different -sized gardens, as cottagers' or amate\irs' ; 

 various trees of different sizes and shapes, as cordons, 

 bushes, pyramids, espaliers, and walls ; and for 

 different climates. By such means it is hoped that 

 every one may the more readily find what tlioy want 

 with a minimum of trouble, and those with m()d('rat(^- 



